Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners favourites to sign Chelsea forward; former player heaps praise on Mikel Arteta, and more - August 17, 2022
Arsenal travel to Dean Court on Saturday to face Bournemouth in the Premier League. The north London side are coming off victories against Crystal Palace and Leicester City in their first two games of the season.
Meanwhile, former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell has heaped praise on manager Mikel Arteta. Elsewhere, the club are leading the race to sign a Chelsea forward.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on August 17, 2022:
Arsenal favourites to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi
Arsenal have emerged as the favourites to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, according to the Chelsea Spot Podcast via Caught Offside.
The Englishman is eager to leave Stamford Bridge in search of regular football. Chelsea are willing to let him go, amid interest from Aston Villa and Juventus. The Gunners have now jumped to the front of the queue in the race for his signature.
🏴 Arsenal are one of the most likely destinations for Callum Hudson-Odoi - the player is pushing to leave permanently.
The two favourite 2 Premier League clubs are Aston Villa and Arsenal.
[Exclusive via @TheChelseaSpot Podcast] https://t.co/JwwsOh05CU
Arteta is looking for an upgrade on Nicolas Pepe, who has failed to find his feet at the Emirates. Hudson-Odoi has emerged as an option, and the move could also help the Englishman revive his career.
Kevin Campbell heaps praise on Mikel Arteta
Kevin Campbell believes Mikel Arteta is ready to do everything possible to help his team. The Amazon documentary "All or Nothing" has provided a glimpse of life behind the scenes at the Emirates. The first three episodes were released on August 11.
Campbell is pleased with what he has seen so far. Speaking to Football Insider, he said that Arteta wants his wards to be mentally prepared for the rigours of the Premier League. The series also shows the fallout between Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who joined Barcelona on a free transfer in January.
"It (the documentary) has shown to me that Arteta will try everything with this young squad. He wants to get them mentally right and mentally prepared. He has got a bit of stick for playing 'You’ll Never Walk Alone', but as a player, that would get under your skin a little bit. That is why he did it, to get under their skin. It is done to try and prepare the players for the beast that is Liverpool," said Campbell.
He added:
“Let’s be honest: Liverpool and City have been the beasts of the Premier League. You have to be mentally right to take them on. It did not work out, but they (the Gunners) had a decent season. They only just missed out on the Champions League. That is because they weren’t mature enough. Sometimes you need to go through adversity to get better."
Campbell continued:
"The documentary is showing us what it means to the players. I didn’t know that the photographer Stuart gave a team talk before the Spurs game. It is interesting to get a look behind the curtain. Arteta is not scared to try things, and I like that. I love it. It has been better than I thought," said Campbell.
Mikel Arteta has enjoyed a flawless start to the new campaign, winning his first two games as the Gunners trail leaders Manchester City on goal difference.
Jamie O'Hara admits he was wrong about William Saliba
Former Tottenham Hotspur player Jamie O'Hara has admitted that he was wrong with his initial accessment of William Saliba. The French defender has been impressive for Arsenal since the start of the season and already looks like a star of the future.
"I’ll apologise, I absolutely got that wrong. He is the real deal, what a signing."
Jamie O’Hara apologises for doubting Arsenal star William Saliba after impressive start bit.ly/3w8CZkd
Speaking to talkSPORT, as relayed by The Evening Standard, O'Hara heaped praise on Saliba.
"I wasn’t sure of him because he’d gone out on loan. I hadn’t seen him play loads. I was thinking maybe he wasn’t up to scratch to play for this team. ... and I’ll apologise, I absolutely got that wrong. He is the real deal, what a signing," said O'Hara.
He added:
"What a player he is, and I know that he’s young, but he could be sensational. He’s still got things to work on, like his positioning, but he looks really, really good."
Saliba started both games for Arsenal this season. He put on a 'Man of the Match' performane on his club debut against Crystal Palace and scored an own goal against Leicester City, but the Gunners won both games.